Table



March 3, 1942. R W GRiFF|N 2,275,060

TABLE Filed Jan. 9, 1939 l l l l l l l l n /2 Gttorneg t /23 nventorPatented Mu. 3, 19421 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE Raymond W.t'illlilartford, Conn. Appllcltion January 9,( N0. 250,080'

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tables and more particularly to such as areadapted for use in automobiles, aeroplanes, and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a table that, when'not in use,may be stored entirely within the usual storage compartment in thedashboard of a vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table which iscontained in such a compartment without interfering with other articlestherein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device comprising atable and which may be readily installed in compartments of differentsizes.

Further objects will be readily understood from the followingdescription and from the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the interior oi the front part ofan automobile with my' improved table installed in the compartment ofthe dashboard thereof.

Figure 2 is a side view, in longitudinal section,

through the said compartment.

Figuref 3V is a front view, in cross section, through said compartmenton line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing my improved tablewithdrawn from the interior of the compartment and in position for use.f

Figure' is a bottom view of the device comprising my improved table.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, in longitudinal section, through thecompartment showing a modified form of means for securing the devicewithin said compartment.

As illustrated in the drawing, the numeral denotes a dashboard of avehicle having an opening 8 which communicates with the usualcompartment l that is formed by means of a casing 8 mounted to the backof the dashboard.

A door 8, for closing said compartment, is hinged to the dashboard bymeans of a conventional form of a hinge III.

In the form illustrated; the device comprising my improved tableconsists of a plate II having legs I2 for supporting the same on thefloor I3 of bent downwardly and inwardly from the plate I l` provideflanges for supporting the said table I4.

As shown in Figure 5, the said supporting u flanges are provided withextensions I'I forming stops which engage the stop pins I8, mounted onthe bottom of the table I4, to limit the rearward movement of saidtable. Flanges I9 are also provided at the front end of the plates I Ito provide further support for said table when in pulled-ou position andalso to engage the stop pins I8 and limit the forward movement of thetable.

A threaded post 28 is provided at each side of said plate II, and apointed screw 2I is threaded througheach of said posts to be turned intoengagementl with the side walls 22 of the compartment 6 so as to centerthe plate II therein and at the same time secure it against verticalmovement in said compartment.

Since the casing 8 of the compartment is sometimes constructed of amaterial which does not have suflicient strength to permit securing ofthe plate II within the compartment solely by the screws 2l, an opening23- is provided adjacent to the rear edge lof the plate II so that abolt 24 may be used to anchor the said plate to the floor I3 of thecompartment. lIn such cases, it being necessary to drill a hole in thefloor of the compartment so that the lsaid bolt may be insertedtherethrough and fastened by means of a nut 25. In order to eliminatethe necessity -of drilling said hole through the bottom of the compartment, I may. if desired, provide fastening means such as illustrated inFigure 6 of'the drawing; said meansl comprising a hollow 'posty 26having a point "21, `which is insertable within the aperture 23, and athreaded bolt 28 which extends from said post and is adapted to engagethe top 29 of the compartment. A nut 30 is threaded to-said bolt andturned against the post so as to force the bolt against the top of thecompartment and thereby clamp the plate II with the legs I2.

thereof against the bottom of the compartment.

It .will be readily understood that where the screws 2| cannot solely beused for fastening the device within the compartment, they will serve aspositioning means for the plate, to prevent side movement thereof, andthe said plate may be fastened by either the bolt 24 or the fasteningmeans illustrated in Figure 6.

In some automobiles, it is common to und that the bottom edge of theopening B in the dashboard extends above the floor of the compartment,as clearly illustrated at 3|. My improved device provides for suchconditions by means of the legs I2 which support the table I4 at adistance spaced from the bottom of the compartment and on a plane higherthan the said extending edge of the opening, thereby permitting the saidtable to be pulled out of the compartment over the said edge withoutinterference therefrom.

By means of the plate Il, a false floor is provided for the compartmenton which will rest articles placed therein without interfering, in anymanner, with the operation of the table I4. It will, therefore, bereadily seen from the embodiment illustrated in the drawing that I haveprovided an improved table which may be mountedwithin a compartment andwhich,` when not in use, is entirely stored within said compartment andconcealed by the door thereof without affecting the use of thecompartment nor the operation of said door.

When said table is to be pulled out for use, it is simply necessary tolopen the door of the: compartment and pull the table out over the saiddoor. While the table is in its outward position, the door will restunder it, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing.

If desired, the plate Il may be fastened directly to the walls of thecompartment and spaced from the floor I3, by suitable means, Without theuse of the legs l2 so that the said plate will still position the tableover the edge 3| of the opening 6 and also provide a floor forsupporting articles within they compartment. It is, therefore, desiredto have it understood that while I have illustrated only one embodimentof my invention, the same may be modied to a greater or lesser extentwithout departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described adapted to be contained within acompartment; said device comprising a plate having legs for supportingsaid plate upon the oor of said compartment, anges bent inwardly fromthe edges of saidp late to provide grooves thereunder, a table slidablymounted in said grooves, extensions on `said flanges, stop means on saidtable adapted to engage said extensions and thereby limit the movementof said table in said grooves, and means for securing said plate inposition within said compartment.

2. A device of the character described comprising a'plate havingportions thereof bent perpendicular thereto to provide legs forsupporting said plate upon the floor vof a compartment, portions bentperpendicular to said legs and parallel to said plate to provide groovesunder said plate, a table slidably supported in said grooves, a verticalpost on said plate and means threaded to said posts for engaging thewalls of the compartment to secure and position said plate therein.

RAYMOND W. GRIFFIN.

